To Elisabeth, Loubna, Julie, Melissa, An, Eefje
and all the other children
With tenderness and respect

Child

Pornography

on the Internet

The following people have participated in the MAPI group:
Jacques Berleur S.J., Cécile Barbeaux, Stéphane Bodart, Danièle Carpet, Claude Cherton, Arnaud Deflorenne, Marie d'Udekem-Gevers, Xavier Gobert, Patrick Heymans, Claire Lobet-Maris, Monique Noirhomme-Fraiture, Micha‘l Petit, Jean-François Raskin, Manuel Rouard, Béatrice Van Bastelaer, Laurence Vandenbrouck, Isabelle Walhin (ECPAT), Denis Zampuniéris

Translated into English by Nils Hedenstršm and proofread by Peter Kelly.

We would like to thank all those who have contributed to our research with pertinent and constructive remarks or by critically rereading this report, and all those who have, in general, supported our project.

Finally, we would like to thank ECPAT for its kind support of the MAPI group.

INTRODUCTION

At the beginning of September 1996, following the emotion aroused by the Belgian cases of paedophilia, several researchers and academics from the Institute of Informatics at Namur University (FUNDP) decided to set up the MAPI project. MAPI, Mouvement Anti-PŽdophilie sur Internet (Anti-Paedophilia Movement on the Internet) is a study group which looks into the existence on the Internet of information promoting the sexual exploitation of children.

The silence of intellectuals has often been criticized during this grief-charged period, when everyone was looking for ways and solutions to spare children and parents another such appalling situation. Through MAPI, we would like to contribute to the reconstruction of a better world.

MAPI pursues four specific purposes :

• Reflecting on the issues of the paedophilia market and the diffusion on the Internet of information encouraging the sexual abuse of children;
• Conducting an interdisciplinary piece of research, basically legal, technical and ethical, on existing or still to be created solutions to restrict this diffusion of information;
• Informing Internet users and making them aware of the problem of the diffusion of such information;
• Suggesting several recommendations to Internet service providers who broadcast information inciting child sexual exploitation or permit access to it, as well as to the network users, politicians and lawyers.

MAPI does not aim to make a systematic inventory of the information encouraging the sexual exploitation of children, but puts itself in the perspective of the Internet to remind its users of their responsibility in respect of the information circulating on the Net.

As Internet users, we would like to stress that we are the first to recognize its numerous advantages, especially in our field, namely education and research. Moreover, aware of the Internet's potentialities, we wanted to fight against one of its uses of which we totally disapprove. Just as the existence of paedophile magazines must not be an excuse to censor the press, we do not want to put in the dock either the Internet or the vast majority of its users. However, we cannot accept that some people take advantage of this new medium to commit acts which undermine the most fundamental dignity of children.

Furthermore, we are well aware that any action taken against child pornography on the Internet is likely to make this activity increasingly clandestine and difficult to regulate. Nevertheless, this must not prevent us from taking action. Greater secrecy in respect of child pornography on the Internet is not necessarily negative. Indeed, a more limited access to this kind of information cannot but benefit Net users who, most of them, want a certain ethics of information and communication to be maintained on the Internet. Besides, this more restricted access will limit the circulation of ideas and the expansion of the child pornography market. Finally, taking action is not only a deterrent; it also heightens public awareness of illegal practices that some people tend to consider as the norm.

After the launch of MAPI, many people, from the researcher to the typical internaut, as well as parents, told us about their wish to support our initiative. Some gave us information and names of associations likely to be of help to us. Others wanted to take an active part in research or simply supported us by displaying our logo1 on their Web sites. Other people sent us different kinds of messages, sometimes to denounce sites, newsgroups or unacceptable messages, or to inform us of initiatives similar to ours. Some of these messages have been listed in grey boxes to illustrate our report or the support shown by several Net users.

Many politicians contacted us, too. On the whole, we decided to confine ourselves to the role of experts, and to intervene on some precise points when requested. We wanted to keep out of political actions which often seemed too hasty to us, and not really susceptible of producing effective results. Indeed, we think there is little chance that a law alone can change society, and that a rigorous and profound reflection is necessary, as well as a possible modification of laws. Our voluntary project has not been subsidized2 , mainly because we wanted to retain total freedom of thinking, action and writing.

MAPI met every fortnight or so for six months. Several persons who do not work at the FUNDP took part in these meetings where the technical problems were raised relating to the dissemination on the Internet of information encouraging the sexual exploitation of children, and the possible technical solutions were proposed to restrict or eliminate the diffusion of this kind of information. We also drew up a questionnaire for Internet providers, designed to find out their opinion on the subject. Furthermore, we tackled the legal aspects of this complex issue.

The different parts and sections of this document have been written by different persons with distinct viewpoints and training (computer scientists, sociologists, lawyers, economists, engineers, etc.). As a consequence, styles vary and different points of view can be taken into account. Nevertheless, we tried to make this report an educational and, we hope, useful document which raises important issues relating to the diffusion on the Internet of information promoting the sexual exploitation of children.

With this report, we really hope to contribute to the reflection, started by the Belgian Government, regarding the battle against the sexual exploitation of children3 .

You will find five successive parts to help you understand and take more effective measures against the spread of child pornography on the Internet. Each of these parts or their sections ends with a series of recommendations.

In the first part, called "Understanding", we lay the foundations of a better understanding of what child pornography is considered to be, and we explain how the Internet works. The text is first and foremost supposed to be educational and devoid of technical or legal jargon, since our first aim is to lay the basis of a better understanding of the phenomenon. This basis should enable you to act.

The second part, entitled "In Depth", enables us to discover child pornography on the Internet. Is it a rumour or a real phenomenon that urgently needs to be tackled in a responsible way ? Unfortunately, the clues provided by MAPI support the second hypothesis. How do Internet providers react when confronted with this sort of material on the Net ? A survey involving 35 Belgian access and service providers shows how hesitant they are about the behaviour to be adopted in such cases.

The third part, "Regulation", suggests a debate on the existing or still to be created solutions in order to curb the phenomenon. Three kinds of solution are proposed: technical, legal solutions and self-regulation. Through their detailed presentation, the reader will understand that a real control of this phenomenon on the Internet can only come from the combination of these solutions.

The fourth part, called "Taking Action", is intended for Internet users who want to play an active role from an ethical point of view. This section suggests several possible ways of taking action, which can be applied immediately by internetters anxious to assume their responsibilities as citizens on the Net.

Finally, the fifth part, entitled "To Think About", invites you to reflect more deeply by analysing the questions of the citizens'responsibility and freedom in the construction of a democracy, one that is stronger and more able to protect the weakest.

The report ends with a bibliography which enables you to go beyond the few ideas put forward by MAPI. Indeed, our reflection will be useful provided it leads to action on your part. This is the hope formulated by the members of MAPI...

From: VILLANDRE SERGE <m322500@er.uqam.ca>
Subject: research
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 13:00:35 -0500 (EST)

Glancing at the Mouvement Le Nid, of which Michel Dorais is a collaborator, we noted the article which briefly describes the research you are carrying out into paedophilia on the Internet. We are very interested in your research since we have started a similar project here, in Quebec, in collaboration with the police department (SžretŽ du QuŽbec). Moreover, we have contacts with a French team in order to set up international collaboration to tackle this problem. We are eager to obtain further information from your organization with the aim of possibly exchanging information, or even reinforcing our collaboration.

Michel Dorais, assistant professor, University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), Faculty of sociology, and Serge Villandre, research assistant.